1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method of performing an authentication on an identity module card by an electronic communication device.
2. Description of the Related Art
Since the wireless communication industry is blooming in these years, the price of wireless communication equipments is dropping, and more people are using wireless communication equipments. The commonly used mobile phone is an example. Furthermore, the technologies of various electronic industries are progressing, various electronic communication equipments tend to be developed in the light, thin, short, and compact design, and the functions are designed and enhanced to satisfy the consumer's needs. Therefore, the small and portable mobile phone has become an important and popular communication tool. The popular application of mobile phones definitely provides a good business opportunity with good profit for the telecommunication companies. The competition between telecommunication companies also become very severe as its market is not evenly allocated.
At present, many telecommunication companies use different business models for the sales promotion of their telecommunication services, among which a free mobile phone and at least one phone number are given as free gifts to customers, and these telecommunication companies earn money merely through charging communication service fees from the customers once every predetermined period (such as the monthly rental or telephone fee). Such promotion method can effectively lower the entry requirement of using mobile phones, and enhance the intentions of the customers to use the telecommunication services provided by the telecommunication companies who offer the above mention promotion program, and thus greatly increasing the population of using their telecommunication services.
However, many users utilize such promotion programs to obtain free-charged mobile phones from the telecommunication companies as a free gift, but playing tricks with the telecommunication companies by changing the subscriber identity module card installed therein to use the telecommunication service provided by another telecommunication company. This kinds of tricks is not only contrary to the policy of attracting the customers to use the telecommunication service provided by the telecommunication company, but severely cause damages to the telecommunication companies. Therefore, the way for effectively controlling the customers who obtain the free-charged mobile phone from the telecommunication companies to use their telecommunication services in order to achieve a win-win situation for both the customers and companies is therefore an important object needed to be solved by the telecommunication companies.